The Wallace-Darwin Correspondence 



of insects having been acquired through sexual selection. 

 I always saw that the evidence was very weak; but I still 

 think, if it be admitted that the musical instruments of 

 insects have been gained through sexual selection, that 

 there is not the least improbability in colour having been 

 thus gained. Your argument with respect to the denuda- 

 tion of mankind, and also to insects, that taste on the 

 part of one sex would have to remain nearly the same 

 during many generations, in order that sexual selection 

 should produce any effect, I agree to, and I think this 

 argument would be sound if used by one who denied that, 

 for instance, the plumes of birds of paradise had been so 

 gained. 



I believe that you admit this, and if so I do not see 

 how your argument applies in other cases. I have recog- 

 nised for some short time that I have made a great omission 

 in not having discussed, as far as I could, the acquisition 

 of taste, its inherited nature, and its permanence within 

 pretty close limits for long periods. 



One other point and I have done : I see by p. 179 of 

 your review that I must have expressed myself very badly 

 to have led you to think that I consider the prehensile 

 organs of males as affording evidence of the females exert- 

 ing a choice. I have never thought so, and if you chance 

 to remember the passage (but do not hunt for it), pray 

 point it out to me. 



I am extremely sorry that I gave the note from Mr. 

 Stebbing; I thought myself bound to notice his suggestion 

 of beauty as a cause of denudation, and thus I was led on 

 to give his argument. I altered the final passage which 

 seemed to me offensive, and I had misgivings about the 

 first part. 



I heartily wish I had yielded to these misgivings. I will 

 omit in any future edition the latter half of the note. 



26l' 



